<![CDATA[Fly Tying: Snowshoe Parachute Emerger]]>Tim Barker at PlanetTrout recently tied a nice emerger pattern with white Snowshoe rabbit hair. I was impressed by the appearance and figured I would try to use the material. I have been on a CDC kick of late and Tim suggested the Snowshoe hair might be a better material compared to CDC.  So, I tried it. Lordy me! I struggled with it on a size 18 hook. So, I would suggest experimenting with the material on a bigger hook and getting use to the hairs.

The hook was a Gamakatsu C15-BV, size 18, vertical eye. The tail/shuck was a single strand of copper/black Krystal flash. The abdomen body was black and olive 14/o Sheer thread wrapped around each other and then wound onto the hook. The wing post is a clump of hairs from a tan Snowshoe Rabbit foot. I tied it in and elevated it with thread wraps around the base of the post. A very small Grizzly hackle was tied in and wrapped around the base of the post ala parachute style.

I fumbled with the rabbit hairs and tying off the hackle. I really could not see very well. The lighting was great, but frankly I just cannot cleanly tie the smaller flies, unless it is a simple nymph or pupa pattern. But, I will continue to muddle through because the reality is you do need some smaller patterns and I will continue to experiment until I find the simpler, cleaner patterns to tie.



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